Pity the Child
by ObsidianKitsune
Summary: The prophesy could have gone two ways. How would Harry have lived if Neville had been chosen? Based on the song
1. A Change in Fate

Author: _Obsidian Kitsune_

Title:  _Pity The Child_

Rating: _PG-13 for now, I'll change as needed._

Genre:  _Harry Potter_

Type:  _AU- Drama/Angst_

Premise:  _What if the prophecy concerning Harry and Neville had played out a different way?  How would have Harry then grown up, raised by his real parents, and not the Dursleys?  Were his parents really the perfect couple?_

Authors Note:  The whole idea was taken from the song "Pity the Child" from the musical Chess.  If you've never seen it before, I'd suggest it, it's really quite good.  Though this idea was based on the song, the story itself is NOT following the musical itself, as it wouldn't really fit in the Potter-verse, lol.  I just really liked the song ^_^  It could also fit Severus Snape a bit, if you play around with it, but that's not here.  As stated above, this is an AU FIC!!!  As in, if people flame me informing me that what I have written is not how things went, well, duh!  I'm not following JKR's storyline, hence AU.  

Disclaimer:  _If I was JKR do you really think I'd be writing fan fiction based on my own set of books???  I rest my case.  Now never ask again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Pity The Child:  Chapter One.
    
    _When I was nine I learned survival _
    
    _Taught myself not to care _
    
    _I was my single good companion _
    
    _Taking my comfort there _
    
    _Up in my room I planned my conquests _
    
    _On my own -- never asked for a helping hand _
    
    _No one would understand _
    
    _I never asked the pair who fought below _
    
    _Just in case they said "No." _
    
    _Pity the child who has ambition _
    
    _Knows what he wants to do _
    
    _Knows that he'll never fit the system _
    
    _Others expect him to _
    
    _Pity the child who knew his parents _
    
    _Saw their faults, saw their love die before his eyes _
    
    _Pity the child that wise _
    
    _He never asked, "Did I cause your distress?" _
    
    _Just in case they said, "Yes." _
    
    _When I was twelve my father moved out _
    
    _Left with a whimper -- not with a shout _
    
    _I didn't miss him -- he made it perfectly clear _
    
    _I was a fool and probably queer _
    
    _Fool that I was I thought this would bring _
    
    _Those he had left closer together _
    
    _She made her move the moment he crawled away _
    
    _I was the last the woman told _
    
    _She never let her bed get cold _
    
    _Someone moved in -- I shut my door _
    
    _Someone to treat her just the same way as before. _
    
    _I took the road of least resistance _
    
    _I had my game to play _
    
    _I had the skill, and more -- the hunger _
    
    _Easy to get away _
    
    _Pity the child with no such weapons _
    
    _No defense, no escape from the ties that bind _
    
    _Always a step behind _
    
    _I never called to tell her all I'd done _
    
    _I was only her son! _
    
    _Pity the child but not forever _
    
    _Not if he stays that way _
    
    _He can get all he ever wanted _
    
    _If he's prepared to pay _
    
    _Pity instead the careless mother _
    
    _What she missed, _
    
    _What she lost when she let me go _
    
    _And I wonder does she know _
    
    _I never call. _
    
    _A crazy thing to do _
    
    _Just in case she said, "Who?" ___

**~Prologue~**

On a dark and stormy Hallowe'en night, two different families celebrated amongst themselves, unaware of the danger that would soon befall one.  Both the Potters and the Longbottoms had gone under the Fidelus charm by advisement of Albus Dumbledore.  He had found out by chance that a prophesy had been made that involved the sons of both families, and felt it best that they be protected from the wrath of the current Dark Lord, Voldemort.  Both rested easy once they had decided on their respective secret keepers and performed the magic.  Too bad one families choice was less then… shall we say, fortunate?

The Potters had chosen, after some initial debate, their friend Sirius Black.  They had considered their other friend, Peter Pettigrew, but since the Longbottoms hadn't found a secret keeper of their own, he stepped up for the job.  Pity.  Unknown to them, he had been in league with the Dark Lord for some time, and jumped at the chance to deliver to him one of the children of Prophesy.  In his own eyes, better to kill off the pureblood.  It was, after all, a well-known fact that Lily Evans was a mudblood, and any offspring of hers was therefore tainted and weaker then a true pureblood.  It must be so, for his master had said as much himself.

So it was on that fateful night of Hallowe'en 1981 that a surge of dark magic ripped through a small manor house in a secluded part of England's countryside, startling the two young parents, Frank and Alice, and their young song Neville.  Both had extensive knowledge in dueling, and Mr. Longbottom put up a valiant effort, but in the end he was cut down by the green light of the Avada Kedavra cast by none other then the Dark Lord himself.  Meanwhile Alice had fled with her young son to the basement level where a secret passage had been built into the manor.  She had just laid hand to the trigger for the door when it opened by itself, revealing the form of their secret keeper.

Peter grinned as he walked out of the tunnel, wand leveled at the young mother.  With her hands full carrying her son, Alice knew she couldn't retaliate and hex the little rat-faced traitor like she wanted to.  She silently berated herself forever trusting the rodent.  Her face a mask of silent fury she hugged Neville close and backed away from the man's gesturing wand.  Her blood ran cold when a cold laugh sounded from behind her.

"Please, my dear, don't be in such a rush to leave us so soon.  After all, we've only just arrived."

Alice swallowed, her eyes darting frantically around the dark cellar area, searching for a way out of the trap.  Her eyes fell on the advancing Peter, and having nothing better to do, she kicked out at him with her foot, connecting with his solar plexus and knocking him out cold.  Though she knew that she wouldn't be able to get away, she used the brief distraction to mutter over her child's forehead in the pretense of a kiss.  She had been the best at charms and ancient magic, along with her friend Lily.  It was the only thing she could think of to save her precious child.  

Voldemort's cold red eyes narrowed in satisfaction.  The girl seemed to have realized that there was no way out and had collapsed, still cradling her child in her arms.  After taking out that whimpering coward first, of course.  He advanced on the shaking woman, one hand outstretched with lethal wand pointed.

"Give me that child woman, and you will live.  It isn't you I want after all."

"No!  Not my child!  You can't have him you evil beast!"  She clutched Neville to her chest, to weak from using all her power protecting him to fight back any further then that.  

Red eyes narrowed in rage, his intended target denied him.  "You foolish woman."  He stalked closer to Alice, every spoken word a little softer, and more hissed.  "I would have let you keep your worthless life, but I see you think you are too good for my humble generosity.  I'll not force my gift upon those not thankful then."  His raised wand began to glow with a sinister green light as he mouthed the incantation that would end her life.

"Avada Kedavra!"  With one flash of green light it was over, and Alice Longbottom had breathed her last.  Slowly, her body crumpled back, lifeless and quickly losing the warmth of life.  Still though, her dead arms held close the child she had given all to protect.

By this time Neville was giving out lustful cries of fear and hurt, too young yet to understand why his mother didn't move to comfort him, or his daddy make the bad man go away.  He looked up at the scary man with red eyes and the glowing stick as he approached, one chubby fist rubbing his watering eyes.  His sobs gave way to hiccups as he sat on his dead mothers chest.  Red eyes stared into blue as the evil man spoke the fateful words once more.  

But when the green light sped towards the small boy, something strange happened.  It hit dead center of the child's forehead, but the force of it seemed halted.  It moved sluggishly, swirling around the young boy's body as his whimpers became frantic screams of terror and pain.  Gathering itself together, it then traveled the same path it had previously taken, straight back at its castor.  Faster then could be followed it returned and hit the startled Dark Lord, ripping soul from body in a bright flash of green light.  An evil dark mist seemed to flow from the crumpled body to hover briefly then flee the room, leaving behind a stunned Pettigrew, the dead body of Alice Longbottom, and young Neville Longbottom, crying with a lightning-bolt shaped cut on his head.

When the authorities finally arrive to the late Longbottoms residence that was all they found.  Pettigrew was taken in for questioning, and later put in Azkaban for life for being a Death Eater and betraying the Longbottoms.  Neville, or "The Boy Who Lived" was sent to live with his only remaining relatives, a distant Aunt and Uncle.  Death Eaters had already decimated most of his family.  The Wizarding World now rested easily at night, knowing that the Dark Lord had been defeated.

So to did the Potters, their only child now safe.  They could concentrate once again on each other and their love, instead of fighting to stay alive and keeping Wizarding England safe.

…Maybe having so much family time isn't such a good thing?


	2. chapter two

Author: _Obsidian Kitsune_

Title:  _Pity The Child_

Rating: _PG-13 for now, I'll change as needed._

Genre:  _Harry Potter_

Type:  _AU- Drama/Angst_

Premise:  _What if the prophecy concerning Harry and Neville had played out a different way?  How would have Harry then grown up, raised by his real parents, and not the Dursleys?  Were his parents really the perfect couple?_

Authors Note:  The whole idea was taken from the song "Pity the Child" from the musical Chess.  If you've never seen it before, I'd suggest it, it's really quite good.  Though this idea was based on the song, the story itself is NOT following the musical itself, as it wouldn't really fit in the Potter-verse, lol.  I just really liked the song ^_^  It could also fit Severus Snape a bit, if you play around with it, but that's not here.  As stated above, this is an AU FIC!!!  As in, if people flame me informing me that what I have written is not how things went, well, duh!  I'm not following JKR's storyline, hence AU.  

Disclaimer:  _If I was JKR do you really think I'd be writing fan fiction based on my own set of books???  I rest my case.  Now never ask again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Chapter 2:  

In a large, well appointed room, in an equally large, wealthy manor, a young boy sat on his bed reading.  Books were his escape, his way of getting out of the stressed atmosphere that pervaded the house.  In them, he could ignore the sounds of the fighting couple downstairs, the sounds becoming the noises of battles against dark wizards, dragons, and goblins.  As long as he stayed out of it, and didn't expect anything from _them,_ he was safe.      

But even he couldn't ignore the sound of a large vase crashing against the wall.  With a growl, Harry Potter grabbed his brand new racing broom- the Nimbus 2000, and went to his large window.  Throwing open the glass, he mounted his broom and left his room via the window.  Besides books, flying was his only other escape from his quarreling parents down below.  Outside the open air felt wonderful on his skin.  He did a few laps around the grounds, idling wondering what his parents were arguing about this time.  Once when he was younger, he had found some pictures of his parents from before he was born.  They had looked so happy and carefree.  Sometimes, in the dark of night, he wondered if he was the cause of their unrest.  His parent's friends, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were quick to kick that theory out the door though, when he had brought it up.  Still, he wondered sometimes.  

He idly flew down to the first story bank of windows, looking in to the dining room which is where he thought his parents had been arguing.  He was right.  His father was yelling, it seemed, facing his mother with one hand upraised, holding a parchment.  Harry was surprised, James Potter didn't usually yell, he was horribly hen-pecked by his wife Lily.

Curious, he flew in closer, hoping to see what was in his father hand, without being seen.  Squinting his eyes through the lenses of his glass, he could just make out green ink, and the word Hogwarts.

_It was his Hogwarts acceptance letter!_

Now Harry was mad.  It was one thing to forget about his birthday, he was used to that.  But to keep his letter from him?  Now that was just criminal.  He flew back to his window and inside, quickly dismounting from his broom.  He didn't bother looking in the mirror, as his hair was a lost cause as it was.  By now the ruckus downstairs had calmed down, and he couldn't hear anything.  Squaring his shoulder, Harry left his room and headed down to the dining room.

By now both his mother and father were giving each other the silent treatment.  James had an uncharacteristic look of triumph on his face though.  Walking through the double doors Harry stopped an equal distance from his parents and addressed them.

"Has my Hogwarts letter come in yet, Mother, Father?"

He didn't let on that he knew it was already here and that they had been fighting over it.  His father turned to face him, his face, so similar to Harry's own, breaking into a grin.

"Ah, Harry!  Good morning to you, son.  Yes, your letter has arrived for you, here."  James handed his son his Hogwarts letter with a flourish.  Lily, who by this time had turned back to the two men in her life, snorted delicately.  She didn't agree with sending her only son to Hogwarts at all, she's rather he went to Beauxbatons.  It was far classier then that drafty castle that was Hogwarts.  

Harry scanned the letters contents, noting the required items he had to bring, and what was and wasn't allowed.  He grimaced, noting that first years weren't allowed brooms.  So much for Padfoot's birthday gift then.  Hoping to get a second opinion he showed the line in his letter giving the bad news.

"Hey dad, you're friends with Dumbledore, do you think you could do something about this?"

James scanned the rule, and frowned confusedly.  "How is that a problem, son?  You don't have any broom except for the old practice broom.  Surely you don't want to bring that?  There are better ones at the school you can use until you get a real broom."

"Dad, I have a broom, it was Sirius' and Remus' birthday gift to me.  Today.  Remember?"

Both his parents blinked, then went slightly pale.  They had been so busy fighting that neither had remember the reason why their sons Hogwarts letter had come that day.  It was his birthday.  Their son was now eleven.  James cleared his throat and tried to play it off, as if he hadn't forgotten.  

"Ah, you do, do you?  I had thought they were going to wait until later today to give it to you…"  He trailed off, a bit unnerved by his sons unbelieving look.  Lily didn't even bother trying to play off their faux pas.  Her son was almost a stranger to her now.  She didn't understand him, and didn't bother trying anymore.  

"Uh huh.  Of course Father.  So, can you do something about that?  I don't want to leave my Nimbus behind."  

"Afraid not Harry.  That rule is for safety reasons.  You'll just have to wait until your second year to bring it.  A Nimbus you say?"

"Yeah, brand new model, the 2000.  I'm going out now to try it.  Are we going to Diagon Alley later to pick up my stuff?  I have to get some new robes, and potions ingredients.  I've got everything else already I think."

Lily nodded, briskly taking the note from her son's hands and scanning it herself.  "All right then, I have to pick up some things myself, I'll take you later.  Do try to make sure you are presentable though, son."  She fingered his flyaway locks, a faintly disapproving frown on her face.

He ducked out from her hand, heading for the door.  "Yes Mother.  Thanks.  I'll be back in a bit."  It wasn't like he could help what his hair looked like, after all.  It was just like his dads, same as his bad eyesight and his looks.  He went back up to his room to grab his new broom, pondering as he went.  Maybe he should grow his hair long, like his Godfather Sirius?  It just might be manageable, and would certainly drive his mum nuts.  She hated Sirius' hair, and constantly nagged him to get it cut.  Grabbing his broom he left again, going downstairs to exit the house properly this time through the door.  He paused by the dining room doors again, hearing his parents arguing about who had forgotten his birthday, and whose fault it was.  Snorting and rolling his eyes he continued to the large double doors.  Before he could open them though they opened by themselves, allowing his two favorite people into the foyer.  Sirius and Remus, both laden down with some packages.

"Hey Kiddo!  Happy birthday sport!"  Sirius dumped the packages he had been carrying into Remus's hands to his tolerating sighs, and picked Harry up and spun him about in a big hug.  From behind the pile of packages Harry could here Remus add in his birthday greetings as well.  Finally Sirius let down a breathless laughing Harry, fondling ruffling his hair.  "How have ya been kiddo?  Did you like your first present?"  He nodded to the broom in Harry's hands.

"Yeah! It's great!  Thanks a lot, you guys, it means a lot to me.  Oh!  I got my letter today!"  He grinned up at his Godfather and his mate, though his eyes clouded over again a moment later.  "Though I didn't know I had until I heard _them_ arguing about it."  By his inflection, they both knew who they were.  Both he and Remus shared a glance, and Remus grimaced softly in annoyance.

After a moment of awkward silence, Remus put his stack of presents down on a chair in the foyer, and gave his own hard hug to Harry.  "So Harry, ready to go to Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded, grinning as he went to sort through the various wrapped parcels.  "Yeah, though I think it was a close call.  Mum still wanted me to go to Beauxbatons for some reason.  Dad won that time though.  So I'm going to Hogwarts come September 1st."  

Remus snickered and thrust his palm out to Sirius.  "Pay up.  You owe me now Padfoot!" 

Sticking out his tongue in a very childlike gesture, Sirius did as told, digging ten sickles out of his pocket.  "Well, I'll win next time, mark my words Moony, I will win next time!"  He said this in his best evil man voice, causing Harry to double up with laughter.  Sirius went and took the stack of presents off the chair while Remus pushed the still giggling Harry into it.

"Happy Birthday Harry!"  They both chorused together, Sirius placing the parcels about Harry.  "Well Harry, what are you waiting for?  Open up!"

The trio spent the next few minutes happily tearing into the gaily-wrapped gifts, with Harry exclaiming over every new item opened.  This was, quite possibly, the best birthday he had had in awhile.  After the gifts had been opened and thank-you's made, they retired outside to test out Harry's broom.  While playing, Harry expressed his idea to Sirius about growing his hair out.  Both he and Remus thought it would be a bit of fun to see Lily's reaction to her longhaired offspring.  She did, after all, tell Harry she wanted his hair presentable for when they went to Diagon Alley.

When Lily and James finally emerged from the dining room, it was to the site of Remus and Sirius standing with a longhaired Harry in front of them.  They charmed his hair to grow a bit, and now he could keep it back in a neat tail, without a bit of it sticking out.  

Lily frowned a little, pursing her lips, but she really couldn't say anything, as he was quite neat and presentable.  She decided to later have words with Sirius though, as he undoubtedly was the one who influenced her son to do such a thing.  Smoothing down the planes of her robe she surveyed the smiling, happy group, and offered a small tight smile of her own.

"Hello Sirius, Remus, I hope you are both well?"

"Yes, quite well Lil's, thanks for asking."  Sirius, quite unrepentant for his influences on Harry, gave her a wide sunny smile, though inwardly he was upset with both her and James for the treatment of his Godson.  Remus settled for a simple nod to the twain.  

"We're both well.  We came to drop off Harry's birthday presents, and to talk with James."

"I see.  Well, Harry and I are off to Diagon Alley to pick up his school supplies.  Will you both be staying for dinner?"

"We'll see.  For sure we'll be here to see Harry when you both get back."

Lily nodded, stepping forward to collect Harry from Remus and Sirius.  "All right then.  Come along, Harry."  He dutifully stepped up beside his mum, and giving a last smile to his Godfather and Remus, followed her to the fireplace which had the flew connection.  With a swirl of green flame and the shouted command of "Diagon Alley!" they were both gone.

Almost at once the pleasant smiles on Sirius and Remus' faces disappeared as they rounded on James Potter.

"So, Prongs.  Forgot Harry's birthday again?" 

"Really James, he is your only son, how could you do that?  Once upon a time, you were so excited to be a father, what happened?"  Remus spoke, disapproval dripping off of his every word.

James stepped back a few paces, hands help out in front of him as if to ward off his two friends.  Sirius and Remus looked at each other, and nodded once.  Each one taking an arm, they hauled him into the dining room for a serious talk of priorities.  


End file.
